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A review by jasperdotpdf
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really loved my time with this book.
This was the first book after ~2 months of a horrific reading slump that I've been able to get through very easily. Despite the relatively relaxed nature of the book, this still had me reading while I was walking to and from places, which was actually a first for me.
It's nothing groundbreaking, the ending is pretty cliché and it follows in the footsteps of It's a Wonderful Life, but it managed to deliver on the well-known premise amazingly.
I do wish the book had spent less time explaining the "rules" of the midnight library/the afterlife so to say, since trying to explain such an abstract and vast concept to fit the narrative of a story felt a bit... reductive and convenient for the narrative. Although I do understand why just shrugging and telling the reader there was no real explanation for why Nora ended up in the Library/why things worked the way they do in the book would have also been complicated.
Overall, the small issues I had with it did not nearly impact my reading experience enough for this to be anything less than a really solid book.
This was the first book after ~2 months of a horrific reading slump that I've been able to get through very easily. Despite the relatively relaxed nature of the book, this still had me reading while I was walking to and from places, which was actually a first for me.
It's nothing groundbreaking, the ending is pretty cliché and it follows in the footsteps of It's a Wonderful Life, but it managed to deliver on the well-known premise amazingly.
I do wish the book had spent less time explaining the "rules" of the midnight library/the afterlife so to say, since trying to explain such an abstract and vast concept to fit the narrative of a story felt a bit... reductive and convenient for the narrative. Although I do understand why just shrugging and telling the reader there was no real explanation for why Nora ended up in the Library/why things worked the way they do in the book would have also been complicated.
Overall, the small issues I had with it did not nearly impact my reading experience enough for this to be anything less than a really solid book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Minor: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Alcoholism